Scientists have confirmed that those who get sick with coronavirus have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes for the first time. It was also found that timely vaccination can reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
Researchers at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, led by Dr. Alan Kwan, who published in the American medical journal JAMA Network open”, analyzed data on 23,709 adult patients with a mean age of 47 years. It turned out that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after infection with coronavirus in vaccinated and unvaccinated is 2.1%. Especially among the vaccinated, it was 1%, and among the unvaccinated – 2.7%.
“Our results confirm that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes after contracting Covid-19 is real and, unfortunately, persists throughout the distribution of Omicron,” said Dr. Kuan. He called this fact alarming, given that most people will eventually contract the coronavirus.
On the other hand, he added, “the results show that Vaccinating against Covid-19 before exposure may offer protection against the risk of developing diabetes. While further research is needed to confirm this, we strongly believe that coronavirus vaccination remains an important protective measure.”
Cardiology professor Suzanne Cheng emphasized: “Although we don’t know for sure yet, the data we see is that Covid-19 may act as a disease accelerator, provoking the risk of the appearance of a disease (with a diagnosis), which otherwise could develop in a person much later. So instead of getting diabetes at age 65, someone already at risk of developing it after Covid-19 could develop it as early as age 45 or 55.”
Diabetes disrupts normal metabolic functions by preventing the pancreas from producing enough insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels. Because diabetes can damage vital organs and blood vessels, diabetics have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
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